Magic within the city of beasts
I hope you're all enjoying the story so far.
Chapter five
Kagami stared at Shirou in shock and fear before she quickly got her act together as she glared at the man in front of her.
"What do you mean 'I'm not ordinary'?" questioned Kagami as she took on a guarded look.
Shirou glared back Kagami before he answer her: "I witnessed you flying when you were heading towards the abandoned part of the city. And if I remember correctly, humans can't fly."
Kagami blinked in surprise when Shirou mentioned her flying before looking down at the ground with a frown on her face. Her hands clenched slightly into fists before she let out a sigh and looked up at Shirou again, who was staring at her with his unwavering icy blue eyes.
"Alright...I guess I can't lie my way out of this conversation since you saw me flying." Kagami said in a defeated voice before asking Shirou her own question. "How much do you know about magic and other dimensions?"
Shirou narrowed his eyes at Kagami's question before answering: "I've heard a few things about the theory of there being other worlds, but magic was never really spoken of very much. Except that humans feared it in ancient times because they had no understanding of it. Though as time passed, the humans began to see magic as nothing but illusions and entertainment, while saying that it's not real."
"I see," muttered Kagami with a sigh before she spoke. "Well...where I come from, magic is real. But its different from the magic that the humans on this planet know of."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a long explanation. I'll try to make it as short a possible though so we won't be standing up here all day. I come from a planet called Midchilda, and it's a place where magic and technology live side-by-side with each other. The magic in my world is the shaping of mana that produces useful effects inside each individual person that has it. It's pretty much closer to science and technology instead of the mystic magic that the humans of this world know about. Mages in my world have this specialized organ called a Linker Core. It's an organ that can absorb and store mana in the bodies of all mages, while also managing the useful conversion and release."
"So basically your magic is more specialized in technology than what the humans believe it to be," said Shirou with a light frown. "And the Linker Core is the source of your power?"
"Yeah, but the Linker Core is not invincible when it comes to other mages' tampering with it." Kagami added as she crossed her arms over her chest. "If the Linker Core is forcefully removed the mage will be left weakened, but it will regenerate over time. Yet if the Linker Core sustains serious damage, then it'll take a lot longer for it to recover."
"I see, but that still doesn't explain how you got here to Anima-City."
Kagami let out a groan as she uncrossed her arms as she sheepishly began to scratch the back of her head with her right hand: "In all honesty, I'm not sure how I got here either. All I remember was fighting against another mage and falling off a really tall building. After that things became confusing when I suddenly found myself floating in this strange void with all these white stars shining all around me."
Shirou's eyes narrowed when Kagami said that she had been fighting another mage. Kagami quickly noticed this before sighing as she decided to tell him the truth as she lowered her hand from her head.
"I was fighting against the mage because he caught me helping a bunch of guys, who were transporting stolen weapons to people that wanted to sell them in the black market. He was part of an enforcer group called the TSAB, but unlike the first enforcer I encountered, he had a different method in capturing me."
"You mean the scars on your side and shoulder had actually been wounds that you got from an enforcer who wanted you dead?"
"No. He only wanted to weaken me so that he can capture me, but to be fair I did resist in being captured."
Shirou gave Kagami a calculating look before speaking again: "Though for you to take part in a crime for the black market in your world. That's pretty low, human."
Kagami glared at the man in front of her before crossing her arms over her chest once again: "I'm not proud of what I've done, alright? And even though I want to argue about it, I know not to mess with people who are stronger than me."
Shirou's eyes narrowed at what she had said: "What do you mean?"
Kagami noticed how quickly Shirou grew tense at her words and decided to end this conversation where she wouldn't anger him.
"Okay...somehow I'm able to sense how strong a person's magic is and know that I might or might not have a chance at fighting them. But I know that this world doesn't hold any magic in it, because I can't sense any mana residing inside the beastmen of Anima-City. Yet somehow I can sense a residing power inside you, but its not exactly magic or mana that I'm sensing. Whatever that power is...it's pretty intense."
Shirou's gaze grew more tense as he glared at the human in front of him. He waited to hear what she had to say and was prepared to threaten her in the process if she intended to blackmail him. Kagami looked up at him with a firm expression before she spoke again.
"I'm not going to ask you about it, because I know better than to stick my nose into things that don't concern me. And I'm not going to say anything about it either. It's your secret and I have no right to know what it is."
Shirou blinked in surprise before he took on a serious expression: "Why?"
Kagami raised an eyebrow at the man before answering: "Everyone deserves to have a secret that they don't want to share. So I'll keep quiet and won't cause any trouble while I'm here."
Shirou narrowed his gaze before he walked towards Kagami. He came to a stop in front of her as Kagami looked up at him with a firm expression upon her features. Kagami had to look up at him for he still stood a head taller than her, but she was determined not to show him how his size intimidates her. Their eyes locked on each other for a moment as Shirou gazed down into Kagami's visible eye before he spoke.
"Just make sure that you keep out of trouble within this city."
He then stepped around her as he headed back inside the building. Kagami watched him leave before sighing as she turned to look out at Anima-City. She walked up to the railing before leaning against it while gazing out at the city in front of her. Kagami slowly lifted her right hand up as she moved it underneath her bangs and rested it over the eye that was hidden behind the black strands. Kagami frowned as the memory of what had happened to her long ago flashed through her mind.
'Everyone has secrets they want to keep buried in the past...even me,' thought Kagami quietly to herself.
Just then, she remembered that Shirou mentioned her scars and frowned: "How exactly did he know about the scars that were on my body?"
"I actually told him," answered a familiar voice.
Kagami lowered her hand from her face and turned to see Mayor Rose standing behind her. In the mayor's right hand she held a silver cane with red at the bottom. The mayor walked up to Kagami as the young human turned to look at her fully. She stared at the mayor for a moment before sighing as she looked down at the ground.
"I'm guessing you've already heard the conversation I had with Shirou, huh?" asked Kagami as she leaned back against the metal railing.
"Yes," replied the mayor as she came to stand in front of Kagami. "As the mayor I have to be on top of everything that goes on around here within Anima-City."
"I see," whispered Kagami as she looked down at the ground with a light frown on her face. "If that's the case then tell me...what is your option of me now that you know who and what I really am?"
The mayor replied with a soft smile: "Well...from what I heard from your story, my option of you looking after the children hasn't changed. Though I feel that there is more to your story that you're not willing to tell just yet."
Kagami looked up at the mayor and replied in a voice that held a deep sorrow within its tone: "My life's story isn't something that I'd like to talk about."
Mayor Rose only gave Kagami a nod of understanding before speaking again: "Aside from that, I'm quiet curious about this magic you speak of. It's has me thinking of something that might help you while your living here in Anima-City."
Kagami blinked as she gave the mayor a curious glance: "What do you mean?"
"Well I was wondering if you had the ability to shapeshift? If you do then you might be able to pass yourself off as a beastman within Anima-City."
Kagami looked at the mayor in surprise before she went into thought. After a moment, she glanced back at the mayor while shrugging her shoulders in the process.
"To be honest I never really tried shapeshifting before back on my world, so I'm not really sure if I can do such a thing."
"Well I think now would be best to try it out, but only after you're wound has healed."
"Yes ma'am," replied Kagami with a slight nod of her head.
"Good, now I must return to City Hall. I still have work to do, but I'll return in a week to see how you're doing."
"Of course and thank you again for helping me, Mayor Rose."
Mayor Rose nodded once again before she turned and walked back inside the building. Kagami let out a sigh once the mayor was out of sight before a nervous smile appeared on her face.
"For a person who has a gentle personality, she certainly has an authoritative aura around her," muttered Kagami.
She then decided to head back inside as well for she didn't want to be out here too long just in case someone notices her on the roof. Kagami pushed herself off from the railing and headed back inside the apartment. When she entered the building her nose caught the scent of something delicious wafting through the air. Kagami blinked at what she was smelling before she followed the scent towards the main part of the building. She soon came into the dinning room and saw Melissa cooking in the kitchen. Melissa quickly noticed Kagami's presence as she turned to look over her shoulder and gave the girl a smile.
"Looks like you've caught the smell of lunch being made," said Melissa with a chuckle.
"Um...yeah," said Kagami with a smile and a nod of her head.
"Well lunch will be ready in a bit. Why don't you go wake up Kaito and the twins while I get everything set?"
Kagami smiled when Melissa mentioned the children: "Sure thing. I'll be back in a minute."
Kagami walked out into the hallway and made her way down to the room that Kaito and the twins were occupying. She soon came to the door and opened it to see the kids still sleeping in their beds. Kagami once again smiled at the sight before she walked into the room and headed towards Kaito's bed. She softly sits down on the edge of the bed before she began to gently shake Kaito awake. The young Labrador puppy let out a moan at the shaking before Kagami awoke him with her voice.
"Kaito…come on its time to get up and have some lunch."
Kaito quickly sat up in his bed and saw Kagami sitting in front of him with a smile on her face. Kaito's face brightened at the sight of her before he launched himself forward and hugged Kagami around the waist.
"Ms. Kagami! You're okay!" exclaimed Kaito excitedly.
Kagami sat tense for a moment before she slowly wrapped her arms around the young child. She then smiled as she looked down at the Labrador pup she held in her arms.
"Yeah. I'm sorry that I worried both you and the twins, but I'm alright now." Kagami said in a reassuring voice.
Kaito let out a sniff as he pulled away to look up at Kagami with tears appearing in the corner of his eyes: "W-when we saw that you were hurt we thought..."
Kagami gave Kaito a reassuring smile as she patted his head: "Don't worry. I'm stronger than I look and this wound on my shoulder is nothing."
Kaito stared up at Kagami with a look that said that he was still concerned for her. Kagami only smiled down at him before she decided to lighten the mood by telling him what Mayor Rose had assigned her to do.
"Anyway, it looks like you, me and the twins are going to be sticking together for a little while longer."
Kaito's sad mood turned to one of surprise at what Kagami had said: "What do you mean?"
Kagami replied while winking at him playfully: "Let's just say that from now on I'm going to be you and the twins' new caretaker for a while. Just until I can find two good families for you kids to be adopted in."
Kaito grew excited as a large smile appeared on his face: "Really?"
"Really," replied Kagami with a nod of her head.
"Really, really?" echoed two voices from the extra bed.
Kagami and Kaito turned to see the twins, who were still in their kitten forms, awake and looking at Kagami with hopeful expressions upon their faces.
"Is there an echo in here?" questioned Kagami playfully before she replied to the twins' question. "Of course, but I'll also be making sure that you guys stay out of trouble as well. So don't give me a hard time, alright?"
The twins let out a cheer before they leapt off from the bed and tackled Kagami, who let out a yelp of surprise at the sudden action. As Kagami fell onto her back all her instincts screamed out for her to strike out at the threat. But they were soon replaced with giggles of happiness when the twins and Kaito began to nuzzle Kagami as they hug her. Their whiskers and fur tickled against Kagami's face and neck as she laughed out at the sensation she was feeling. She remembered long ago how her original self had been tickled by her parents whenever she had been sad or down in the dumps. Kagami had never once been tickled by her 'parents' for they had seen just how different she was compared to their original daughter. This was a new experience for Kagami, and she couldn't help but feel happy that she was experiencing something that didn't cause her harm.
"Come on...hehe...that tickles!" exclaimed Kagami between laughs.
Suddenly she let out a yelp when she felt a sharp pain flare up from her injured shoulder. Kaito and the twins stopped their tickling assault and quickly got off of Kagami as they looked at her with worried expressions.
"A-are you okay?" asked Kiki in frightened voice.
"Yeah," replied Kagami as she sat up and gave Kiki a reassuring smile. "My shoulder is still a little tender, so how about we wait for a while until its healed. Then you kids can tickle me to your hearts' content."
"Deal!" echoed Kaito and the twins with smiles on their faces.
Kagami chuckled before she slid off the bed: "Now, it's almost time for lunch. So I hope you kids have big appetites."
Kaito and the twins let out a cheer when Kagami mentioned food before they all hopped down from the bed and started to run towards the door. Kagami quickly stopped them by grabbing the back of their shirts, which caused them to pause and look up at Kagami in confusion.
"Don't go running down the hall," said Kagami in a gentle, but firm voice. "We don't want to accidently run into something or someone and cause an accident in the process, right?"
"Okay!" echoed Kaito and the twins as they pouted playfully up at Kagami.
Kagami smiled before she let got of the children and followed after them. She watched them carefully as they speed walked down the hallway in eagerness, while shaking her head in amusement. They soon came to the entrance of the dinning room where there was food already on the table. Kaito and the twins salivated at the sight as they got ready to race to the table and dig into the food. Melissa came out of the kitchen with a plate of fish in her hands as she looked at Kagami and the three children.
"You're just in time," said Melissa with a smile before she turned to look at the children. "Now, go wash your hands before you kids can sit down at the table."
Kaito and the twins quickly did what Melissa told them as they ran towards the kitchen sink. Kagami let out a sigh of amusement before looking at Melissa.
"Do you need any help?" asked Kagami.
"No dear, just make sure that you wash your hands as well." Melissa replied as she politely refused Kagami's offer.
"Alright," said Kagami with a smile before she made her way to the kitchen as well.
When she entered, Kagami saw Kaito and the twins pushing each other as they tried to get to the sink at the same time. She frowned as she watched the children either growling or hissing at each other, while arguing who was at the sink first. Kagami walked up to the children and quickly broke them up when she sensed that there was going to be a fight.
"Okay you guys break it up," said Kagami in a gentle but firm voice as she knelt down to be at their level. "There's no need to fight over petty things like who should get the sink first. Also, I think it would be better to change back into your human forms so that you don't have to worry about drying the fur on your paw/hands."
The three children blinked in surprise before they looked at each other. Realization quickly dawned on them when they saw each other in their beast forms before smiling at Kagami sheepishly. They quickly switched back into their human forms before Kaito spoke to Kagami with a puzzled expression upon his face.
"But I was always taught by my dad that if you want to survive, then you need to be stronger than those around you."
Kagami blinked at the young boy in surprise before giving him a small smile: "Well I don't think you and the twins have to fight over washing your hands when it comes to lunch. But I think I know a way of how you and the twins can settle this without hurting each other."
Kaito and the twins looked up at Kagami as they tilted their heads to the side to show their curious expressions. Kagami felt her heart melt at the sight of how cute the children looked before she spoke again.
"Have you kids ever played a game called rock, paper, scissors?"
The kids frowned at what Kagami said before they shook their heads 'no' in reply to her question. Kagami blinked at them in surprise before sighing as she wondered how the beastmen kids in this world didn't know such a simple game.
"Okay, let me explain the game to you," said Kagami as she held out her right hand to show the kids.
Unknown to Kagami and the kids they were being watched by Melissa, Gem and Shirou. Melissa and Gem curiously watched Kagami, while Shirou kept a close eye on the young human to see if she would try anything funny. Kagami began to show the three kids some of the hand shapes of the said items while explaining the rules to them.
"Rock, paper, scissors is an easy hand game to play. For rock you close your hand into a loose fist, while for scissors you use your index and middle fingers to form a 'V' and as for paper you make your hand flat. Now, the rule of the game is that you can form any of the shapes that I showed you with your dominate hand, while being a few inches a part from each other. If its a draw then you'll have to try again, but if one of you wins you get a point. If one of you draws rock and the other draws paper, then the person that has paper will win a point. But if the person draws scissors and the opponent draws rock, then the person who drew rock will win a point."
"So if a person draws scissors and the opponent draws paper then the person who drew scissors wins a point?" asked Kiki as she figured out the next part within the game.
"That's right," replied Kagami in a proud voice. "Also there is no physical contact within this game. So for this game, if one of you wins either all three or two out of three points then the winner will face off against their next opponent. And if they win then they'll be the first one to wash their hands. Does that sound clear and fair to the three of you?"
Kaito and the twins nodded their heads in agreement with smiles appearing on their faces.
"Good," said Kagami with a nod. "Now, who would like to go first within this game?"
Kaito and Akari were the first ones to start the game as they faced off against each other. Kagami stood up and watched the two boys, while Kiki stood beside her. In three rounds, Akari was the one to win by two points before he faced off against his sister. He soon won by three points and got to be first to wash his hands. The one who came in second place was Kaito, which caused Kiki to pout for losing to him. Melissa got a step stool for the kids, which helped them to reach the sink better. Kagami stood with Gem and Shirou as they watched Melissa instruct the kids with how to wash their hands before Gem turned and headed towards the table. Kagami watched for a while before Shirou spoke up.
"You're a strange one, human."
Kagami turned to look at Shirou in surprise: "What do you mean?"
The wolf beastman glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before answering: "Most humans would use force to control beastmen, but you didn't do that. Instead you helped the kids in solving the problem of who gets to be first by giving them a game to play instead of letting them fight it out amongst themselves."
"Well they're only kids and they shouldn't be fighting each other over something as silly as washing their hands," said Kagami with a smirk before she looked back at Kaito and the twins as her smirk changed into a sad smile. "Besides...those three will need each to lean against when going through tough times until they're adopted by new parents who can raise them better than I can."
Shirou stared down at Kagami before he spoke again: "You do know they aren't humans right? So why do you care about them?"
Kagami's visible eye took on a distant look as the smile on her face disappeared to replace it with a sad frown. She didn't reply for a moment, but when she did it was in a whisper that only Shirou could hear.
"I don't want them to go through the pain of being alone like I have."
Shirou gazed suspiciously down at Kagami as he couldn't help feeling like she was hiding something from him. He always trusted his instincts when it came to solving cases and whatever Kagami was hiding from him, he will find out one way or another. It wasn't long before everyone was sitting down at the table and eating lunch together. Kagami was sitting at the end of the table with the twins sitting together on the left side of the table and Kaito sitting on the right side of the table with Shirou. The kids ate happily as they savored the food that Melissa had cooked for them. Kagami was curiously looking at the chop-sticks that she held in her right hand. She then glanced over at Gem to see how he was picking food up with his own chop-sticks. Kagami decided to try it herself as she used her chop-sticks to pick up one of the small pieces of meat that sat on a small plate. She was able to get a good grip before lifting the piece of meat to her open mouth and shoving it in. As soon as she started to chew, Kagami's eyes widened in surprise when she tasted the sauce on the meat. It was the first time that Kagami had eaten anything this good in her life. The only things she had eaten when living on the streets were either fruits, day old breakfast buns and anything else that she could afford with the little money she had earned in her jobs. So this was a completely different change to what she was used to. Kagami was tempted to go wild and start stuffing her face full of delicious food, but controlled herself as she took her time to savor her lunch. It was quiet at the table for a while before Melissa began to speak to Kagami.
"You know, you're going to need a new change of clothing if you and the children are going to be staying with us. So I think it would be best if I started taking your measurements and see what type of clothes will fit you."
Kagami swallowed before she spoke to Melissa: "That's probably a good idea, but just to let you know I don't really like dresses or skirts."
"I'm guessing you're the tomboy type of person, huh?" questioned Melissa with a smile.
"That and those items of clothing make me look silly."
Kiki looked up from her rice bowl as she looked at Kagami in confusion: "Really? My mommy always told me that I looked cute in dresses and skirts."
Kagami gave Kiki a kind smile before speaking: "Well...there are some females out in the world that have different tastes in clothing. But sometimes their taste in clothing can change overtime."
"Not for me!" exclaimed Kiki with an excited smile. "I'll never stop wearing dresses and skirts that make me look cute!"
"If that's your choice than I'm not going to argue with you about it," said Kagami as she picked up her soup bowl and quietly sipped the broth.
"So what kind of clothing do you usually wear?" asked Melissa curiously.
Kagami swallowed before she answered: "Usually jeans, pants, shorts, T-shirts and sometimes vests or jackets. I like any color except for pink."
Kiki cocked her head to the side: "Why?"
"Pink isn't really one of my favorite colors. The colors that I like are red, white, grey, orange, blue, green and black."
"Well I'll see what I can find at the store," said Melissa with a polite smile.
Kagami only nodded her head before the table went silent again. They soon finished eating and Kagami helped Melissa with washing the dishes, while Gem entertained the children by reading a story to them. Shirou had left as he said that he had other things to do for today, but not before telling Kagami to stay in the Beastmen Co-op building while giving her a glare in the process. Kagami had finished drying the last of the dishes before Melissa took the young teen to the guest room with a measuring tape and notebook in her hands. Once in the room, Melissa asked Kagami to take off her pajama top so that the older woman could acquired the measurements for the clothing she needed to buy of the human girl. Kagami was a little hesitant at first, but soon relented as she let Melissa measure her. It took about a minute before Melissa finally finished her measurements and wrote them down in her notebook.
"That should do," said Melissa as she turned to look at Kagami again with a smile. "I'll be taking the children with me to buy some clothing. I'll be back with your clothing in about an hour."
"Thank you," said Kagami with a bow.
Melissa soon left the room while closing the door behind her. Kagami looked at the door for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness my magic kicked in,' thought Kagami as she looked down at her torso which was still bare of its top.
Slowly, the skin that had seemed unblemished by scars, except for the ones on Kagami's shoulder and side, began to change as multiple scars appeared on her body. Three horizontal lines scared her back, while two scars crisscrossed into an 'X' on her stomach and one scar slashed horizontal above her breasts. Kagami stared down at the scar that sat above her breasts with an angry frown appearing on her face. She remembered how she had gotten it, and the other scars that were on her body.
'Luckily my magic kicked in to cover up these scars before Mayor Rose could see them,' thought Kagami as her anger softened slightly on her face. 'I'm not ready to relive the memories of what had happened to me back in that lab.'
Kagami called upon her magic to cover up all but two of the scars on her body. She then pulled her pajama top back on before walking out of the guest room, and made her way down the hall towards the living room. Kagami saw Melissa getting the children ready to go out before Kaito and the twins came walking over to her. Kagami knelt down to be at their level before she began to speak to them.
"Now you three behave and don't give Melissa any trouble. Also don't wander off on your own, stick close to Melissa at all times. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" echoed Kaito and the twins with a nod.
"Good," said Kagami with a smile before standing up and turning her gaze on Melissa. "You and the kids stay safe Mrs. Horner."
"We'll be back in about an hour," said Melissa as she slipped the strap of her purse on her right shoulder.
Kagami nodded before Kaito and the twins wrapped their arms around her legs or hips as they gave her a hug. Kagami tensed slightly but soon relaxed as she petted the heads of the three children. They soon let go of Kagami and followed Melissa out the door, while shouting a goodbye over their shoulders. Kagami watched as the door closed before a light frown appeared on her face.
"I hope they'll be okay," muttered Kagami.
"They'll be fine," said Gem with a reassuring smile on his face as he sat on the couch with a book resting in his lap. "The clothing store is only a block away from the Beastmen Co-op, and my wife is tougher than she looks."
Kagami turned and gave Gem a small smile before she noticed the book he was holding in his lap. It was a purple book with silver letters, which were written in English, imprinted on the surface of the book's front cover. Kagami read the words carefully and had to blink at what she had just read.
'Tale of the Silver Wolf?' thought Kagami before she walked over to Gem and sat down on the couch.
"Was this the story you were telling to Kaito and the twins?" asked Kagami as she gazed down at book within Gem's hands.
"That's right," replied Gem with a proud smile on his face. "I've written this book myself, and I hope to make a living from it after I retire from working in the Beastmen Co-op someday."
Kagami smiled before she grew curious about the title of the book: "So...what exactly is the story in your book about?"
Gem looked at Kagami in surprise before realization crossed over his face: "Oh right. I forgot that you humans don't really know anything about the legends and histories of beastmen. The 'Tale of the Silver Wolf' talks about the legend that has been passed down from generation to generation about the savior of beastmen. If you'd like, I could tell you the story."
Kagami, who became very interested in who the savior Gem was talking about was, nodded her head before Gem opened the book and began to read it to her.
"Throughout the course of history, beastmen and humans have coexisted in different ways. However, within each generation, a calamity would befall upon the beastmen whenever the humans took up arms and try to destroy the beastmen. When that happens, a savior appears in the form of a giant silver wolf. We beastmen know him as Ginrou, the god of beastmen. There have been many legends about him that date back to a thousand years of beastmen being saved by the god, Ginrou."
Kagami stared at the drawings within the book that showed beastmen and humans coexisting with each other before the humans started to terrorize the beastmen. Her eyes widened slightly when Gem flipped to the next page within his book to show her a drawing of a large silver-white wolf protecting the beastmen. Kagami had to admit that giant wolf within the book looked amazing, and she couldn't help but admire how the god of beastmen would lay down his life to protect his people from danger.
"Your God must be really brave to risk his life to protect all beastmen," said Kagami with a smile. "I also bet he has a kind and selfless heart to go along with him."
"Yes, Ginrou-sama is quiet revered by those who believe in him." Gem said with a smile as he closed the book before looking at Kagami. "Yet he is also feared by those who seek to harm the beastmen as well. So it is best that you try and show through your actions that you are a friend to the beastmen while you stay in Anima City. If you do that I'm sure that he'll come to your aid whenever you're in trouble someday."
"Okay," said Kagami with a nod as Gem stood up from the couch and walked away.
'Although I'm not sure he'll really want to waste his time in protecting me,' thought Kagami with doubt lingering in her heart. 'I'm a human after all and I'm basically the enemy of beastmen. I'm sure he's harboring a lot of anger towards humans who have no love for his people.'
It wasn't long before Kagami head back up to the roof to get some fresh air and to have some alone time. She was leaning against the metal railing as she stared out at the city before her. Kagami let her mind wander for a while before the sound of claws clicking against the metal railing brought her back to reality. She looked to her right and saw Kuro standing on the railing looking up at her with his big eyes before he softly cawed at her. Kagami smiled down at the crow before reaching out with her right hand and began to gently stroke the back of her index finger against Kuro's chest. Kuro let out a happy coo as he let Kagami stroke his chest feathers before the young human dropped her hand down to her side. She then turned her head to look out at the city again and spoke in a soft voice.
"I don't know if things are going to work out for me in this city, but I'm willing to give this place a chance. I just hope I can live up to being a good guardian for Kaito and the twins."
Kuro let out a caw of encouragement from his perch on the railing, which caused Kagami to look at the crow with a smile. She then pulled out the blue marble from her pajama breast pocket and stared down at it with a light frown. It still glowed softly within Kagami's hand, while giving off the same soft warmth when she had first picked it up. Kagami continued to look down at it when Kuro suddenly startled her by deciding to fly up, and land on her shoulder to get a closer look at the marble within the human girl's hand.
"You aren't one for personal space, are you," stated Kagami with a small smile.
Kuro only responded by nuzzling his head against Kagami's cheek, which caused her to relax a little. It was strange for a crow like Kuro to be this friendly, but Kagami wasn't complaining for she never really had anyone who she could talk to. Kagami had always been alone and had never once made any friends for she feared they would betray her if they found out about what she really was. Kagami let out a sigh as she curled her fingers around the marble before looking out at the city again.
'Even though this is a new world for me to start in I still can't trust anyone. The only one that I can trust is myself and that's all I'll ever need.' Kagami then glanced at Kuro, who had decided to have a nap on her shoulder, before smiling once again. 'But I guess it wouldn't hurt just to have some company up here on the roof for a while.'
A soft breeze blew by as it gently brushed against Kagami's face, while blowing back a few strands of her hair in the process. Kagami turned her gaze out towards the city as she let the comforting silence between her and Kuro wash over them.
To be continued